There are currently 30,000 earth energy installations in Canada. This is equal to replacing 50,000 conventional cars with electric, planting 19 million trees, or eliminating the need for a 130-megawatt power plant or one million barrels of imported crude annually. Just imagine the potential impact if this was the status quo.

Geoexchange systems only require a small amount of electricity to operate the refrigerant compressor, ground loop pump and fan, which reduces demand for electricity by nearly one kilowatt per ton capacity and can result in 25 to 50 percent lower energy costs compared to conventional HVAC systems. By eliminating the need for fossil fuels, significantly fewer emissions are generated.

If that’s not enough to sell you on geothermal, these systems also boast the lowest life-cycle cost of any heating and cooling system. The mechanical equipment lifecycle exceeds 25 years and overall maintenance, repair, and operational costs are generally less than conventional HVAC systems, despite offering occupants a greater degree of comfort year-round at lower, more predictable monthly rates. More impressively is the below-ground infrastructure itself, which could last beyond life of the building.

While the advantages are clear, up front capital costs associated with installation can be disadvantageous, however the initial investment can be paid back in as few as five years. Especially with a partner like Geosource Energy on your side, this doesn’t have to be a major source of concern.

Since 2004, Geosource Energy has been a champion of geothermal in Canada, offering utility grade construction services and best-in-class drilling. They provide various project delivery models for geothermal systems from construction through to Design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM).

Through the DBOOM model, a long-term service agreement is put in place which provides unmatched customer service and system management throughout a project’s lifecycle.

Geosource acts as a technology and performance guarantor which is made possible through the creation of an energy partnership. Clients experience a peace of mind and operational stability, as Geosource bears the capital costs across the life of the contract – usually a term of 30 years.

“With a third-party utility bearing the capital cost of that system,” Adam Alaica, Director of Engineering and Development says, “it allows for the capital burden to be taken off of the developer, and through the service agreement it is converted to an operating cost for the end-user.”

Geosource enables this capacity via a partnership with Oakville Enterprise Corporation (OEC), a municipally owned energy and infrastructure company that has an established presence in the geothermal market. Together they bring 30 years of experience and over 300 projects delivered, as well as extensive technological capacity and resources that can better serve client partnerships.

Jennifer Burstein, Vice President of Construction at Collecdev, a developer that has completed nine towers with Geosource Energy to date, provides some insight into the partnership. “Geothermal was an easy decision for us. As one of Collecdev’s corporate pillars is sustainability and environmental stewardship, geothermal was, ‘Simply the right thing to do.’”

Burstein adds, “It just felt natural when they approached us and offered us an opportunity to enter into the space of geothermal. It made sense that they would take on the entire project of geothermal. So not only the vertical drilling, but also the connections, the mechanical systems, and the engineering and project management that goes along with it as well.”

Geosource Energy drills and installs one hundred percent of its own geo fields. It handles all of the technical and geological considerations to support the energy side of a project, freeing up the developer to oversee the real estate aspect, which makes for an ideal partnership in the development space, especially when partners are engaged early in the process.

“Early engagement is critical to success on any project,” Alaica believes. “From a new construction perspective, it is the ideal scenario to design geo into a building from its conception. This is even more critical when the geothermal infrastructure is sited below the building footprint, which is common practice in most facilities.”

Early engagement doesn’t necessarily mean geothermal needs to happen first. Collecdev employed Geosource Energy on the Westwood Gardens project in 2018, which had multiple trades on site at the same time. The space allowed Geosource to drill the bore field in tandem with other onsite activities, the coordination of which was seamless.

Building retrofits are possible, but they are not without their challenges. There may be challenges integrating the new system with legacy facilities and mechanical distribution systems. In these cases, detailed due diligence is required to assess the project viability and may result in the need for deep retrofits, which may come at a far greater cost up front.

Alaica explains that where there is a lack of space in higher density communities, “Geosource has innovated our construction and implementation methods, leveraging things like angle drilling. This is actually something we’ve done with Collecdev in the past, and it can be done for retrofits and new buildings where there is limited space available.”

The project with Collecdev which he was referring to is described by Burstein as a “retrofit-esque infill project, a two-tower new build which was integrated into an existing residence that was about fifteen years old. They deployed this angular vertical-drilling mechanism which allowed us to take a very small portion of land and drill a large amount of loop space at an angle.”

Another advantage of geothermal is flexibility from an architectural standpoint, which is particularly useful for historic renovation projects. Geothermal mechanical rooms are smaller and can be tucked away in lower value areas such as underground parking levels, with no need for unsightly equipment on the property grounds or the roof. Geosource’s strategic alliance with industry leading fluid flow experts, Armstrong Fluid Technologies, ensures that all hydronic equipment and controls used in their geothermal mechanical stations compliments the best-in-class installation on the ground side. This ensures the preservation of a project’s historical integrity while ensuring the most future-forward innovations in space heating and cooling are utilized.

Geothermal can have the greatest impact on multi-residential, commercial, and institutional projects, especially from a cost and performance perspective. For instance, if all the schools in Canada that require replacement of their heating and cooling systems over the next ten years invested in geoexchange systems, energy savings could exceed $1 billion, and the environmental impact would be immense.

Despite its proven viability and the potential of its impact, geothermal only represents five percent of real estate market share in Ontario. This is due in large part to an unfavourable spark spread. Low gas prices make the shift to electrified systems a harder sell, especially where there is a lack of political will, a sense of market inertia, and the need for capacity building on an industry level.

“One of the key challenges for the industry at large is trying to create this renewed groundswell and create political will to really shine a light on geothermal as the leading, and most credible way to help achieve low-carbon, net-zero community aspirations,” explains Director of Marketing and Sales for Geosource Energy, Darryl Chow.

All levels of government have a role to play to ensure that environmental protection is legislated, and that carbon-intensive energy resources continue to be taxed appropriately, while offering incentives up front that can help offset the higher installation costs and encourage the adoption of greener alternatives.

From Alaica’s perspective, “Helping bridge the incremental cost of a higher performance building is the key. If there is any way to allow the development community to reduce those incremental costs, this will help drive the business case for a higher performance building; this is exactly what the geothermal third-party utility model does.”

The construction industry is historically one of the slowest to evolve. There is a commitment to tried and true construction methods, despite the increasing availability of viable alternatives that improve performance and sustainability.

However, as municipalities continue to establish green building standards to help achieve lower emissions targets, the construction industry will have no choice but to adapt to a cleaner, greener approach to design and construction. Geothermal will be an important part of the overall solution.

“Toronto is a great market for understanding how the municipalities can drive change in the building sector, specifically. With the introduction of the Toronto Green Standard, the city is showing leadership in establishing a more prescriptive guideline around energy and carbon performance of facilities, which is a step in the right direction,” says Alaica.

Sustainability is nothing without collaboration, and in the case of green construction, it will require a multifaceted effort of industry professionals, government representatives, and education leaders to ensure the industry has the capacity to support growth in demand. This is particularly true of training what Chow refers to as, “the next generation of sustainable green construction-trades people.”

Fleming College has launched a first of its kind geothermal program to provide a combination of hands-on training in drilling, installation, repair, and maintenance of geothermal systems which will address a growing need for industry accredited professionals.

To support these ends, Geosource Energy created the Sustainability and Renewable Energy in Construction Student Award through the Tridel Corporation’s BOLT Charitable Foundation to encourage students in the field and provide mentorship. As Chow puts it, “We really do have to equip our future workforce with the right opportunities so they can get into this game to put not just Ontario, but Canada on the map as a global leader in the green construction industry.”

As a constant champion of geothermal, Geosource Energy supports Workforce 2030, a coalition of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) that is dedicated to fast-tracking workforce growth and building industry capacity overall.

In partnership with the CaGBC, Geosource Energy will be convening an expert panel of key industry stakeholders via an interactive webinar that will serve as a masterclass in geothermal heating and cooling. They hope that by having these conversations with individuals involved throughout the design, construction, and operation of buildings, convenings of this nature can break down barriers to the implementation of critical low-carbon technologies like geothermal. The Drilldown: Masterclass in Geothermal Energy is scheduled for April 20 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern via Zoom.

Tune in to learn more and see for yourself how leaders like Geosource Energy and Collecdev are embracing low-carbon alternatives like geothermal for a greener future. The market is ripe with potential, and geothermal is a business decision that can improve lives, save money and the environment, while improving the bottom line.

The post Things Are Heating up For Geothermal Energy<p class="company">Geosource Energy</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

And here’s the good, surprising part: A&M’s services consistently improve operational efficiency and profitability for clients while fulfilling the growing demands of environmental stewardship that all in the industry face.

A&M Remediation has a long history of environmental stewardship. The company started life as A&M Reforestation in 1983, which is where its President and founder, Paul Thususka, met many of those who still work for the company today. They brought the same work ethic and drive to mining, stand-out qualities that caught the attention of a mine supervisor in 2012.

As Thususka whimsically recalls, “He saw what our team was doing with tree planting and said they could use some help underground in a logistics form, but what he really meant was, he didn’t have a problem with logistics, he had a problem with garbage.”

Finding new focus
Visiting the underground mine, Thususka was confronted with the reality of day-to-day refuse: water bottles, oil pans, and other discarded materials which make an already dangerous and harsh work environment even tougher, not to mention the environmental challenges they create.

As a result, A&M developed some specialized equipment and a process that would not only solve the garbage problem for this mine, it would lead to a future full of opportunity that would take the company into multiple mines, enabling it to expand the service and make a positive impact on a wide swathe of the industry and the environment alike.

A&M Remediation has come a long way from tree-planting, but the mission behind its services remains the same: to improve operational performance, profitability, and environmental outcomes for its clients by taking on tasks that may have been overlooked and doing them with enthusiasm and vigour.

Manager of Staff Development and Support Jake Geale explains it simply, “The gist for us is, if we can help the mine run more smoothly and efficiently, we’re taking on those tasks.”

A breadth of services
A&M’s comprehensive services include waste management: the capture, separation, compaction, and management of a variety of materials including, but not limited to, wood, plastic, batteries, e-waste, hazardous waste, and waste oil. Similarly, A&M offers asset recovery, workplace organization, bin management, latrine/refuge maintenance, mould remediation, compliance reports, dust suppression, and invaluable logistical support.

“I’m not sure there’s another comprehensive waste management program that checks all those boxes,” says Operations Manager Chris Hendsbee of A&M’s willingness to take on the responsibilities that companies or individuals can’t or won’t.

For the team at A&M, it’s personal: they are consummate outdoor-ers and caring members of their communities who understand the importance of preserving and protecting the environment, while simultaneously balancing industrial priorities. They also have the drive to see it through.

“We brought young, idealistic, hardworking individuals who thrived in adverse conditions and had a deep care for the environment into mining. We cared about the environment and we were willing to push the limits in that regard,” says Hendsbee.

At the end of the day, A&M takes pride in a job well done; in this case, there’s a lot to be proud of. The team is shining a light on a resolvable challenge that was always an unchecked box on a long to-do list before A&M’s foray into the market.

As Hendsbee says, “Mines generally don’t know what they spend on things like waste management. We do studies and we know how much time, money, and labour hours our clients are saving when they have us in their mine.”

Those savings amount to millions of dollars and go a long way to supporting green initiatives and improving the reputation of the industry. They also generate impressive results from a sustainability standpoint. To date, A&M has reduced landfill waste volume by 94 percent, diverted more than 100,000 litres of waste oil from waste streams and groundwater, captured 97 percent of waste materials (industrial and domestic) in its processes, improved shaft efficiency between 17 and 30 percent, and achieved a 24:1 haulage rate on-ramp of waste material. Moreover, A&M is able to eliminate MOL orders related to waste management.

“When you’re talking about garbage and reducing the volume, you’re reducing the amount of handling that has to be done,” says Hendsbee. “Garbage doesn’t make money. Waste doesn’t make money. Producing more, manufacturing more, delivering more—our services facilitate a lot of that.”

Bigger than waste
What A&M offers goes far beyond waste. Further to improving its clients’ performance and environmental outcomes, a secondary goal is to bring trust back to the relationship between industry and First Nations including a better understanding of their history, culture, and beliefs to preserve the environment for these and future generations.

A&M has positioned its work in the context of the “94 Calls to Action” of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Thususka explains that this has “allowed us to extend our reach into industry in a different manner to make a difference and it really feels like we’re doing something.” The effects have been far-reaching.

This is where Director of First Nations Outreach Steven Miller comes in to bridge the gap in knowledge and shine a light on the truth, as reconciliation is not possible without it. A&M is doing its part to communicate the truth through training programs, job fairs, and growth, and through development activities at the individual and organizational levels.

“We’ve got to walk softly and speak gently,” says Miller. “The past is the past, you can’t change it, but our future—not only for us but for generations to come—depends on today’s decisions and tomorrow’s planning.”

For Miller, that means “Mutual benefit, from employment opportunities to business opportunities; trying to build relationships between individuals at A&M and individuals from First Nations; also between A&M the organization and the First Nations as an organization; and trying to find ways that we can benefit one another.”

He adds, “If you examine the history of mining—and the waste it produces—to help the industry grow, you’ll see that people want clean air, a clean environment, and clean water. And when a company has a vision of how to help the industry look better, that’s a stepping stone.”

Miller, like many others, recognizes that A&M is a unique business doing innovative things to help reconciliation between First Nations and Settler communities, as well as seeking out harmony between industry, the environment, and the community.

Culture transformed
Offering unique services takes a unique approach and a culture of continuous improvement, hard work, and reflection. At A&M that includes a commitment to safety, diversity, and the cultivation of a positive work environment as the foundational pillars of success.

“It’s driven by the engagement of our workers and the creation and caretaking of all our policies and practices,” says Manager of Health and Safety Programs and Training Daryl Bransfield. “This fosters buy-in to sustain a healthy work culture.”

Embedded in the culture that A&M is creating is the conscious determination to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. As Geale says, “We’re making efforts to work with all demographics that are underrepresented in the mining industry, including women, BIPOC folks, the LGBTQ+ community, and newcomers to Canada.”

The team at A&M understands that diversity in perspectives and skills is the key to innovation, and paired with passion and a commitment to continuous learning, the sky is the limit to what can be achieved: a success that’s being shared with communities.

Since 2012, A&M has also found many other ways to give back to the community. In addition to being an employer of choice, the company is a sponsor of community events, sports teams, local organizations, and local conservation efforts.

A&M has proved that you can have good intentions at heart, protect the environment and the communities you call home, offer fulfilling careers to employees, and still drive profitability for clients.

The goal now, Thususka jokes, is “world domination,” which will begin with expansion across markets and industries. In so doing, A&M will exponentially grow its positive impact on its clients, the environment, and the communities with which it works in Canada and beyond.

The post Establishing Harmony Between Industry and the Environment<p class="company">A&M Remediation</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Founded in 2016, the Calgary-based company has evolved from the nearly forty years of experience of its sister company, the Lorrnel Group. (The Lorrnel Group is a regulatory project-planning consultant that provides specialized solutions including pre- and post-construction services to oil, gas, forestry, aggregates, and local municipalities.)

AERIUM Analytics is the coming together of a team of subject matter experts in machine learning, computer vision, software development, remote sensing, geomatics, engineering, regulatory compliance, environmental sciences, GIS, and business operations to rethink how complex operations and environments are managed.

“Drones are not an industry, but a disruptive technology across multiple industries,” says President and CEO Jordan Cicoria. “The opportunities lie in using existing technology in new and creative ways to increase safety, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and help modernize processes that have been around a long time.”

AERIUM Analytics develops industry-specific operations and wildlife management solutions for airports, mining operations, and other large industrial sites like tailing ponds for oil and gas operations. In these applications, drones can easily replace manual or carbon-intensive processes to save lives and money and protect biodiversity and the environment.

The company’s reputation is founded on operating in highly regulated industries with strict compliance in complex and ever-changing environments where it’s not afraid to ask, “How do you safely and effectively create programs to mitigate those risks and use these tools to the best of their abilities, across industries and applications?”

What is RoBird®?
One of AERIUM Analytics’ most revolutionary offerings is RoBird®, a proprietary wildlife management technology and bird mitigation tool. It’s designed as a flapping wing drone without propellers and acts as a deterrent to birds and wildlife.

According to Cicoria, RoBird® can be deployed “anywhere there is what we call a negative human-bird interaction. It mimics a female peregrine falcon.” This falcon is an apex predator feared for its prowess in hunting.

RoBird® is a safe and humane way to reduce bird populations in industrial settings and complex environments. It’s an effective and immediate solution to dispersing wildlife, but it’s also a long-term solution as it has been proved that with consistent operation, fewer birds return to these areas of operation.

Airports and aviation
Typically, drones are a nuisance for airports. In 2018, drone sightings caused the closure of Gatwick Airport in the UK just days before Christmas, during an extremely busy travel window, making it the most serious disruption at the airport since the Iceland volcano eruption in 2010.

As a pioneer in the RPAS space, particularly in airport management and regulatory compliance applications, AERIUM Analytics has performed over 2,500 flights at major airports across North America. The company conducts inspections of airport runways and perimeter security, replacing conventional methods, which consume much in the way of time, labour, and fossil fuels, and are costly and inaccurate by comparison.

By deploying drone technology, equipped with its next-generation, real-time detection software for foreign object debris (FOD) in place of physical inspections and traditional bird control and mitigation techniques, AERIUM Analytics can reduce emissions, aircraft damage, insurance claims, delays and downtime, protect biodiversity, and improve safety outcomes for birds and humans alike.

In 2019, there were approximately 20,000 reported bird-strike incidents in Canada and the U.S. and over 200,000 wildlife strikes with civil aircraft reported between 1990 and 2020. Between 2016 and 2021, RoBird® reduced bird strikes at Edmonton International Airport by 50 percent. In the first year of its operation at Grand Forks International Airport, there was a 67 percent reduction. 2021 saw an additional 50 percent reduction.

Further, the removal of inspection vehicles alone generates a saving in emissions equal to the annual electricity use of fifty-five homes. The reduced reliance on inspection aircraft eliminates the equivalent of up to ten million litres of jet fuel or the equivalent of 16,000 homes’ electricity usage. By securing even ten percent of the global airport market, AERIUM Analytics can remove 8,500 vehicles from service.

Energy and mining
AERIUM Analytics has also asserted itself as a valuable player in the energy sector, supporting bird deterrence and mine remediation activities by leveraging RPAS-derived mapping and through the delivery of wildlife management strategies.

Tailing ponds are attractive to migratory bird species as stopover points, and as such, they cause thousands of bird fatalities each year which threaten biodiversity and result in millions of dollars in fines. In over 4,000 deployments over four years, RoBird®’s dispersal encounters have effectively hazed wildlife in the measured zones away from the water, ground, and perch areas.

In a case study of a Northern Albertan tailing ponds site, RoBird®, in year one of its deployment, achieved a 75 percent reduction of bird mortalities, followed by a further 85 percent reduction the following year. That’s good for the environment, biodiversity, a company’s reputation and the bottom line.

Military and defence analytics
Data is an important aspect of military and defence operations, and AERIUM Analytics has partnered with the sector to collect and utilize data to identify security threats and inform strategic planning and coordination efforts.

Specifically, AERIUM Analytics is working with its partners on Project SkySensus, which is led by Arcfield Canada in partnership with Canadian UAVs, BVLOS InC and Foremost UAS Range, to research, develop and commercialize Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) technology in unmanned systems, and related hardware and software developments for application to the RPAS industry, its operational standards and training.

Project SkySensus research and development is growing AERIUM Analytics’ capacity to combine and compile terabytes of geospatial information and analyze and report this information in a more scalable and manageable fashion, doing so in a fraction of the time that conventional methods take.

Construction, forestry, and more
AERIUM Analytics is a national leader in the innovative utilization and integration of RPAS across industries, including the construction and forestry sectors. Its team of advanced pilots, geomatics professionals, and surveyors safely acquire data and ensure that deliverables are accurate, repeatable, and auditable.

Specific to forestry, AERIUM Analytics merges airborne LiDAR and photogrammetry with terrestrial LiDAR and conventional survey and has developed accurate and repeatable methodologies for fibre volumetric measurements, regrowth, site monitoring, road and infrastructure development, and maintenance.

What the future holds
With nothing but positive results and promise, AERIUM Analytics is looking to expand its reach and impact around the globe. The strategy to do that, however, has changed a bit in light of the global pandemic.

“We had just purchased the worldwide rights and IP to RoBird® in February 2020, right before the pandemic hit, so the plan was to start this back then. However, during the pandemic, we were able to solidify our work with our airport clients and were able to begin our penetration into the mining and energy industries. The pandemic made us realize that managing a global workforce would be more challenging than originally planned,” says Cicoria.

Since the goal was to take its services global, AERIUM Analytics has focused on growing its relationships in the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia, to expand its airport service operations (FOD and runway markings analysis) through a SaaS model, while also deploying 900 RoBird® devices in a hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) model over the next five years.

AERIUM Analytics will continue to offer service for complex pieces that are not able to be outsourced. As Cicoria explains, “We are going to be putting our tools in the hands of trusted partners to help expand the geographic reach even further.” This includes training, maintenance, and safety auditing to support its partners and ensure the quality and performance of service delivery.

The reason for this, Cicoria notes, is that “Having people all over the world just doesn’t make sense anymore, especially in a post-pandemic world. So it’s not out of necessity, but out of opportunity that we are looking at this transition, this pivot into producing solutions and technology, processes and expertise.”

Cleaner fuels
Another major focus for the future is hydrogen. As a green technology solutions provider, AERIUM Analytics is invested in the industry, particularly with its support for partners in the transition to carbon neutrality.

For Cicoria, “It’s kind of two-fold: first and foremost, we look at ourselves as a parallel or peripheral technology in the sense that we accomplish a lot of the same goals as what is happening in hydrogen. It’s all about the reduction of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.”

AERIUM Analytics and its partners are looking at how they can collaboratively support the transition to hydrogen and how drone technology can assist these efforts, as well as how drone technology can leverage hydrogen as a fuel source to improve length of flight and facilitate the use of heavier, larger drones with more sensors onboard.

As a market leader committed to continuous improvement and innovation, AERIUM Analytics was an attendee at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention which was a perfect opportunity to showcase its offerings and find out how best to be part of the collective solution in transitioning away from fossil fuels.

“Half the challenge is just getting people in a room to think about new ways of doing things and what exists and how to do it. We’re a very small piece of a very big global challenge. We’re happy with our role in that but it’s about how we’re going to accomplish these goals together,” says Cicoria of AERIUM Analytics’ commitment to advancing clean fuels and technologies across industries and sectors.

The post Drones Go to New Heights<p class="company">AERIUM Analytics Inc.</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

This commitment to safety and performance is backed by a reputation that spans 114 years. Throughout this time RegO Products has consistently invested in its capacity to innovate to address the needs of its customers and their industries. The result is a catalog of over 5,000 active SKUs, many of which were first to market.

Despite a storied history and a robust product portfolio, the future has only just begun for RegO Products as it embarks on a new chapter under new ownership. Recently, Dover acquired both RegO Products and its peer in the market, ACME Cryogenics, Inc., to better meet market needs.

The two entities are in the process of synergizing operations into a single platform as part of the OPW Global operating unit, within Dover’s Fueling Solutions business segment, which will draw on the particular strengths of each: RegO Products’ reputation as a clean energy solutions provider and ACME’s strength in the cryogenic liquid and gas markets.

A path to new energy solutions

As President and CEO Mike Lucas says, “The hydrogen economy is a significant focus for us, as it was before the acquisition. ACME has a strong position with hydrogen in the current industry, so bringing us together has helped accelerate what we can provide to the hydrogen industry as it builds out and develops new industry applications,” and, he adds, ultimately a pathway to net zero emissions.

One clear opportunity is the LNG (liquefied natural gas) market, particularly in end uses like heavy-duty trucking where there are challenges when refueling vehicles that are transporting cryogenic liquids. Since gas in liquid form needs cold and pressurized conditions to maintain that form, it becomes more dangerous and challenging than the diesel alternative.

“With the current technology, because it’s cryogenic, the nozzles want to freeze to the truck. The drivers were having a difficult time operating them because they were experiencing leaks and maintaining this equipment would create downtime at the station,” explains Senior Vice President Product Portfolio Chad Thomas.

To address this challenge and improve the process for both the driver and the station operator, RegO Products went out into the industry for driver feedback to help develop a solution. The result was a product that keeps the equipment clean and dry, simplifying refueling, and putting an end to human error by automating much of the process.

“The driver only has to hang the nozzle on the truck and press a button, so all the other critical factors are automated, taking driver influence out of there,” says Thomas of this advance that has transformed the process, and which will encourage greater adoption of LNG heavy-duty trucks.

With the industry in mind

As the focus at RegO is on both the end user and the industry infrastructure, the company is deeply involved in the development of new industry standards and regulations to ensure safe adoption of these advances in procedure and technology.

Lucas aptly notes, “For the hydrogen economy to take place, you have to be able to produce it. We provide many products and solutions on the infrastructure side, supporting all those products that are needed to expand production capacity globally.”

The innovation doesn’t stop there. RegO Products introduced a custom-developed app that connects end users with digitized resources like the invaluable Serviceman’s Handbook, which is imperative for the installation and servicing of propane equipment.

RegO Products recently took everything a step further by including reference information, product availability, and essentially, “all the tools they need to do their day job,” in the app, says Thomas. Every possible issue has been considered to optimize its complete suite of offerings. This full-service approach has been key to the company’s longevity and success.

To be in business for over 100 years is a testament to RegO Products’ ability to remain relevant as a solutions provider. Time and again it demonstrates that it can evolve with the industry, and even lead. Especially now as the economy moves to alternatives like LNG and LP, cleaner fossil fuels that are often overlooked.

From Lucas’ perspective, “As people move away from sources of power like gasoline and diesel fuels and coal, LNG and LP will have a role as clean fuel. There are also newer technologies where you can make propane from renewable resources, or you can put additives into propane that reduces the carbon emissions.”

The ultimate clean source

While hydrogen is the ultimate clean source of power, it will take time for it to grow into its full promise, and in the meantime, LNG and LP will support countries around the world as they strive to meet ambitious emission reduction requirements.

“When you think of the alternative energy and the CO₂ emission reduction targets, LNG is a critical player, especially in Europe when it comes to meeting some of those targets adopted by the Paris Accord and EU regulations,” says Thomas.

While the economy continues its green evolution, the goal at RegO Products will be to integrate with ACME under Dover to increase their collective impact on the industry.

As always, RegO Products will emphasize innovation and operational capacity to maximize productivity and nurture its culture of success to ensure that its legacy stays in great shape for the next 100 years.

Speaking of a timeline of 100 years, how confident Is RegO Products, really, about the company, its market, and its future? Well, it recently wrapped up $7 million in capital investments and announced plans to invest $6 million more over the next few months. There’s a signal.

The post Cleaning up Clean Energy Solutions<p class="company">RegO Products</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

While this may seem dated, there’s a current application of this political theory in the context of resource projects. In fact, many of the ramifications of these ideas are still working their way through our entire society and politics today.

What is the social contract?
Sometimes named social contract theory, it is a value-based approach to moral and political philosophy regarding three primary conditions of man: the state of nature, equality, and liberty. The major theorists in this school of thought had very different views on each of these subjects; on the legitimacy of the state’s authority over individuals; and on their natural or legal rights within these power structures.

For Hobbes, everyone would have unlimited natural freedoms in a state of nature where political order and law is absent, but that would result in lives he characterizes as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short,” due to the propensity for discord in a society where everyone is left to their own devices. This is the reason, he argued, that people originally contracted to establish a political community and civil society where the imposition of structure and order is for their own good.

While law and political society are not natural, they are necessary, and if the government in question is not effective, citizens do not have to submit to its power. In the state of nature, there is no authority to adjudicate disputes. In its absence, justice is impossible to achieve. This is the motivation behind the choice to relinquish rights to the civil authority, or state.

Subjects maintain their freedom to act within the confines of the established laws, but if the power of the authority collapses, the civil society ceases to be, and everyone returns to the state of nature which is characterized by fear, mistrust, and the potential for unrest.

Locke, on the other hand, argues that in a state of nature, humankind is equal and free to do as it pleases. The absence of a higher authority does not mean the absence of mutual obligation, but the motivating factor in establishing a social contract with the state is self-preservation. The right to life, liberty and possessions is protected by the law of nature, which is God-given and precedes civil society.

Under Locke’s social contract, the establishment of a state or authority agreed upon by the people has the power to punish when it serves the benefit of the society. He also believed that when government fail to satisfy the best interests of the people, the government loses its legitimacy. This was the thinking behind the American Revolution which laid the foundation for the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

For Rousseau, the state of nature was a primitive state that preceded socialization. It was morally neutral and peaceful state where solitary individuals satisfied their basic needs and urges in the interest of self-preservation.

Rousseau took a collectivist approach. He believed that individuals voluntarily forfeited their rights for the benefit of the collective, what he referred to as ‘the general will’ and the state served as a form of risk management in this regard. Individuals contract with the state as a form of self-preservation to protect their life, liberty, and property.

The deliberate setting of rules, principles, or institutions as a necessary means to an end, only as far as they are legitimate, serves the general will, or the public interest. This is especially true in the context of resource development.

The social contract in a resource context
Social contract theory received a much-needed update in 1971 when American philosopher John Rawls published A Theory of Justice. His work rejected the concept of a pre-social or pre-political state of nature, but he agreed that a just society is one where rational citizenry voluntarily accept the principles of authority or government. He believed that the best way to assess and appreciate the value of social institutions was to imagine life without them.

Looking at the resource industry and the role of government in its regulation, one can only imagine what it would be like without a civil authority overseeing the management or extraction of resources. Would it be a state like Hobbes imagined, where life was very adversarial and difficult, or would it be a state of peace, where everyone had the same rights and obligations?

In this context, the discussion around the social contract has to do with collective versus individual rights and the role of the state in protecting those rights. This can also be considered in the context of public versus private interests, where communities engage with private corporations which have the means to extract resources and do so based upon an established contract which sets out rights and obligations.

These relationships are governed by the authority of the state because when left to their own devices, private entities will tend towards unfettered growth and development, which is in the best interest of the profit motive and not necessarily in the best interest of the society.

Free-market thinkers would argue that without this development the economy would cease to be competitive, and the true capacity of resource projects could never be fully realized, as there are ways to be competitive and practice corporate social responsibility (CSR).

CSR is a self-regulating business model that helps a company to be socially accountable to all parties to the agreement, including stakeholders and the general public. It is a form of corporate citizenship whereby the private interest can maintain principled social, economic, and environmental actions.

However, it should be noted that even those with the most advanced CSR programs have been the source of gross societal and environmental violations, so trusting that CSR can be self-regulating in practice is not justified. Therefore government regulation of the private sector, and in particular, resource companies, is ever important. So too, is stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholder engagement as the social contract
As there is collective interest in the extraction, use and value of natural resources and environmental sustainability as natural rights, there is the assumption that social contract would also hold true in this regard. Private obligations are dependent on an agreement with stakeholders, the terms of which are established through consultation.

A fitting example is consultation with Indigenous Peoples when it comes to resource development or extraction projects. Indigenous people often live on, or near, resource rich lands and have an intimate connection to these lands as the keepers of the land through their cultural and traditional practices.

Indigenous rights are inherent and inalienable. They include the right to self-government (self-determination), land rights, and the right to practice their own cultures and customs, which are unique depending on the nation in question. In Canada, these rights are protected under Section 25 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

To uphold these rights requires stakeholder engagement on the basis of clear, consistent communications to establish project objectives, map out the development process, improve knowledge bases, increase mutual understanding, create feedback loops, and establish mutually beneficial terms.

Projects built around engagement take the principles of nature, liberty and equality into consideration and give people who have a stake in the projects a chance to have a voice in the matter and the opportunity to benefit from their extraction, in a social, environmental, and economic way.

For instance, mining projects up north are often accompanied by training agreements, to ensure that local people are trained and employed for the work being done. If, in a less desirable scenario, workers are brought in, not only is the value extracted from the land, but the money made by the labour force also leaves the local communities.

When the money stays local, it can strengthen the local economy and community in several ways from reinvestment to higher standards of living. This is why it is important to consult, to ensure that both the resources and the benefits of their extraction are not external to those who have a stake in their development.

Social contracts and project success
Commonly, individuals and communities lack the financial means to develop resources projects as private interests typically do, which makes these agreements helpful from a market and societal perspective. Agreements like these allow for the reduction of risk and increase the value and competitive advantage of large-scale resource projects.

Stakeholders, when consulted early and often, can help to influence a project’s advancement by providing expertise, identifying challenges or risks to mitigate, increasing project success, and creating a groundswell of general will and acceptance that will help the project benefit all parties to the agreement. However, one could argue this is more Utilitarian in nature, which was a newer school of thought, coming to prominence after social contract theory.

When this consultation does not occur, projects are met with protests and often result in social and environmental harm, the state of nature that the likes of Hobbes hoped to avoid by contracting with authority, such as the state, which is there to protect a person’s life, liberty, and property in exchange for rights.

Perhaps it would be wise to rethink the social contract by adopting alternatives which are not concentrated in the private sector, like community-based resource management, or smaller-scale projects that ensure the benefits are realized by all.

Cooperative models, community-based developments and the like could be an effective way to manage resource projects to ensure mutually beneficial outcomes for those who have an interest in their development, those who stand to benefit from it without doing so at the expense of others and the environment.

The question is, what is the best way to regulate such a relationship? The answer is likely to remain the social contract, regulation by an authority and extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure accountability and optimal outcomes for all.

Without an established authority or agreement, life would be characterized by a lack of social order and certainly no mutual benefit.

The post The Social Contract<p class="company">Nature, Equality, and Liberty in the Resources Sector</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

As a pioneer in the tension fabric building space, GNB is not only revolutionizing the construction of these structures, but it is also innovating the materials used in their construction. In doing so, the company has taken these materials’ performance to new heights, proving that the sky’s the limit.

GNB enjoys success in oil and gas, mining, warehouse, energy production, sports and recreation, entertainment, agriculture, and construction projects, and the team is always looking for new ways to add value, creating tension fabric solutions to protect customers’ interests, assets and materials.

“Of course, now the challenge for GNB is how to duplicate that success [in one application] and bring it to other industries, whether it’s high-rise buildings, mid-rise buildings, or any long-term project,” says Trevor Pond, Vice President, Sales and Business Development.

GNB has undertaken mission critical projects like emergency response centers, as well as projects at the other end of the spectrum in hobby spaces. Regardless of specifications or needs, GNB’s movable, prefabricated structures are built to order and built to last. Every job and every client shares the same quality and is given the same attention to detail every step of the way.

Lasting solutions
Be it a large structure or small, temporary or permanent, complex or straightforward, GNB can work with its clients to devise customized tension fabric solutions that address their needs and also offer the peace of mind that comes when you know that the structure will outlast the project.

“What sets us apart is that we’re a true one-stop shop in the way that we’re going to handle everything from inbound inquiry to warranty, installation, engineering, logistics: one hundred percent. If you’re going through GNB, you’re dealing with us every step of the way,” says Vice President Brad Shambel.

As a one-stop shop, GNB supports its clients through the entire process: from consultation, where it identifies their pain points; through research and development, where pain points are addressed; and during installation and service – remembering that need for maintenance is usually minimal given the longevity and performance of these structures.

“We just make it easy for customers to deal with us. We remove a lot of the liability, the risk, the uncertainty in dealing with a vendor and I truly believe that’s been the reason for our success and our growth. Once someone gets a taste of dealing with us, we make it very hard for them to go, or want to go, anywhere else,” Shambel says.

Just as the structures are built to last, so too are the relationships that GNB builds with customers, which is why it has secured so many plum projects. The only way to attract industry leaders is to be an industry leader yourself, which GNB has demonstrated time and again by finding new ways to satisfy customer needs.

“Now we’re bringing multiple offerings to the same client,” notes Pond, who describes a data center project for a client. “We deployed both our buildings there that they use for temporary structures, as well as our RWES for the weather enclosures, and we’ve got multiple users now on data-center builds that are using both products.

“We’re here to help solve problems,” he adds, “and if it’s a tension fabric solution, we’ll work on it. Some of our greatest innovations, RWES for example, have come from people sharing their experiences and their challenges.”

RWES and Mother Nature
What Pond refers to is GNB’s patented reusable weather enclosure system (RWES), a proprietary solution that has taken tension buildings to the next level in terms of performance and longevity. Referred to as “Mother Nature’s worst enemy,” RWES is weather enclosures done right for a number of industries and applications, in particular construction sites.

RWES is a long-term solution that provides thousands of square feet of column-free, unobstructed space. The material used is designed to reflect light at night, necessitating less lighting to achieve better interior visibility. Structures can be customized based on size, color, layout, access points, and can be branded for a professional look and marketing edge.

RWES is patented in North America and Europe and there is additional growth on the horizon. GNB has immense belief in this product and demonstrates it with a 16-year warranty, indicative of the value it brings to its clients’ projects.

“Although GNB created this and patented it, it was through collaboration with our customers, understanding what their pain points were, that got us to this point. The benefits of the RWES system are that it’s reusable, it sets up and deploys in about half the time [of competing systems], and once it is set up, you never have to rework it – it’s literally just set it and forget it,” explains Pond.

As a matter of fact, RWES installs 40 to 60 percent faster, at 40 to 60 percent of the cost of traditionally constructed structures, which is especially important as the cost of construction materials continues to climb. Additional value is derived from these structures being portable, reusable, and storable for up to seven years, which means less material to find its way to the landfill.

Weathering the storm
When choosing a GNB built structure, customers know that they are being protected from the elements and inclement weather thanks to its promised 99 percent weathertight seal. RWES offers protection against UV, rain, moisture, dust and wind.

RWES structures have withstood winds in excess of 150 kilometers an hour thanks to engineered building profiles that promote even distribution of wind and snow loads. The material is also flame and mold resistant.

An indication of GNB’s commitment to completely satisfying the needs of its customers with fully customized tension-fabric solutions, was its recent investment in a new fabric facility. In the face of rapidly increasing demand, this facility will enable it to better control supply.

“The genesis of that fabric plant was to separate RWES from our building side just to make sure that we don’t change our service level to our existing customers,” says Shambel. Only months after production began, there are already signs that additional shifts will be necessary to deal with demand. With foresight, the company has invested in the capacity to really turn up production, and so maintain the care for customers that has made its name.

GNB is a no-frills company that prioritizes relationships with its customers, safety, and a job well done. This approach has been a recipe for success, one that has earned the trust of many customers. One of its largest clients equates working with GNB to pressing a Staple’s Easy Button – well, that was easy!

From Pond’s perspective, that sort of growth in its reputation is due to the company culture, “We don’t just take what’s coming to us and make it easy, we care about our customers’ success and how we can serve them. I know we look a lot at how we’re spending our customers’ money, and if we don’t spend it wisely, it’s not going to be great for our longevity. GNB is a very resilient company, but it stems from wanting to do right by our customers.”

The people at GNB have clients’ best interests covered every which way, and they do that by keeping in mind just three letters, “DPR” – standing for dependability, predictability, and reliability – the guiding principles upon which its success was built and the reason the company’s celebrating its milestone twenty-fifth year.

“We won’t sacrifice that in order to grow in other geographic markets, so we’ll know when the time is right to do so,” said Pond, “But we’re not going to do that at the expense of lowering our service standards for our existing clientele.”

The goal is for the names GNB and RWES to be synonymous with outstanding protective structures. In a dusty, windy, demanding world, the team is setting the standard for tension fabric solutions and intends to keep it that way, so that when someone asks for tension fabric, RWES and GNB are the immediate and best solutions.

The post They’ve Got You Covered<p class="company">GNB Global Inc.</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

To demonstrate the importance of water, the late Josephine Mandamin, a grandmother, Elder and champion of water, travelled great lengths by foot, covering nearly 18,000 kilometres around the Great Lakes carrying water and her timely message.

Fortunately, like her, Ontario’s mining industry is working to ensure there is fair access to the resource and that its quality and quantity are preserved for present and future generations.

With more than 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 kilometres of rivers in Ontario, water stewardship has also gained legislative priority over the last several decades. The government has been working intensively to define the biggest threats to watersheds, and strategies to meet those threats.

A human right to uphold
Water is a human right, and the government’s duty is to uphold that right.

The Ontario Government has made great efforts to mandate water conservation, preservation, and safety, especially after the tragedy in Walkerton when E. coli contaminated the water supply resulting in thousands of illnesses and six deaths. Proper monitoring, testing in accordance with established benchmarks, and enforced compliance can safeguard against this reoccurring.

Legislation like the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act lay the foundation and set the stage to form a strategy and action plan. This is advantageous for companies like those in the mining industry because there is clear guidance and the support necessary to get there. However, water stewardship can still be a complex matter given the number of agencies that oversee it and the myriad policies that regulate it.

Under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) and the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) the Ministry of Environment and Energy are tasked with setting the policies and guidelines related to the management of provincial water resources, including a framework for managing quality and quantity of surface and ground water to ensure it is safe for consumption, recreation and aquatic life.

Under OWRA, the ministry has power to regulate water supply, sewage disposal, and the control of pollution as it pertains to all surface and ground waters in the province. Under the EPA, contaminants are prohibited from being discharged into the natural environment, except when approval is granted and certified in accordance with the guidelines set out in these acts.

While the policies and guidelines have no formal legal status, they tend to become legally binding and provide the foundation for standard practices, as well as compliance and enforcement. Changes are often made incrementally, to give companies the opportunity to make the changes necessary to comply with the improved standards.

Taking action
With the understanding that prevention is more effective than end-of-pipe treatment, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has placed great priority on preventing and minimizing the presence of pollutants wherever possible. Pollution prevention, the management of hazardous substances, and the municipal and industrial strategy for abatement (MISA), form the basis for its actions.

The Provincial Water Quality Objectives (PWQO) are also designed to protect aquatic life and ensure water safety for consumption and recreation. They provide a framework to improve water quality when samples test below benchmark levels. It is important that the government not only regulate quality and quantity, but also provide solutions to breaches in compliance when they occur.

Further to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ontario Ministries of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Health and Agriculture, the Ministry of Food and Rural Affairs, various conservation authorities, the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Environment Canada also have jurisdiction over certain aspects of water management.

In Ontario, there are two major challenges impacting two vastly different parts of the province. In Southern Ontario, the rapid rate of industrialization and urbanization are creating greater pollution of the air and water, while in Northern Ontario, mining and other resource-dependent industries like pulp and paper and agriculture are the leading polluters.

Setting standards
Mining, in particular, has had to adapt to the changing regulations surrounding water, its use and protection and many companies are starting to understand their role and responsibility in preserving the health and wellbeing of vital ecosystems.

Toward Sustainable Mining® (TSM®) is a global program for mining companies that assists with the management of environmental and social sustainability efforts. The best way to do that is to evaluate and report performance based on established standards, which are increasingly becoming requirements of membership in mining associations worldwide.

It is important for mining companies to implement a water management system and accompanying system of accountability, and to use tools like water budgets, which help build a water balance forecast based on seasonal conditions and climate change.

Of course it’s hardly ever easy being at the mercy of Mother Nature, and wet and dry seasons will have different implications for a mine’s water flows. Operators need to be aware of changes in water volumes and water budgets – and prepared for them – to mitigate the challenges of seasonality.

Planning ensures companies are both responsible and accountable for their actions. This requires buy-in from executive leadership, the adoption of a water monitoring program, water-management training, and the establishment of performance objectives and the means of achieving them. Training, or the lack of it, was a major issue in the Walkerton tragedy.

With an adequate water management infrastructure and a commitment to using water-balance forecasts to model water quality over the life-cycle of a mine, operators can minimize the impacts to the watershed and surrounding environment from potential toxic run-offs.

Engagement is the key
Engagement is an especially important part of water stewardship and something that the mining industry is putting into action through groups dedicated to watershed governance and preservation. Together, the industry is conscientiously assessing impacts to watershed ecosystems to improve performance and lessen environmental impact in the future.

Between 2017 and 2018, there was a concerted effort to bring the mining industry together to develop a set of performance indicators that would help to measure and govern water standards in mining operations, including benchmarks for reporting at the mine-site level, as well as operational water-management standards, watershed-level planning, and water performance.

This effort resulted in the expansion of the TSM® initiative that will be phased in over the next several years with public reporting scheduled to begin this year. Dubbed the Mining Association of Canada’s (MAC) Water Stewardship Protocol, the goal is to strengthen industry standards including TSM®, building upon its Water Stewardship Policy Framework established in 2015.

The Water Stewardship Protocol is a tool that is available for companies to be able to implement the commitments defined in the framework, including water governance, operational water management, watershed-scale planning and water-reporting and performance indicators, while also going above and beyond what is legally required.

Level A is the highest achievement under the Protocol, achieved when a facility has demonstrated that all commitments and accountabilities are in place and align with the Water Stewardship Framework.

This requires water-related plans and management systems to be implemented including the preparation of a water balance, and the introduction of a water monitoring program, as well as response and contingency plans if water-related risks or incidents should transpire. Accidents happen, but proper preparation can reduce the impact to the environment and watershed.

A challenge is an opportunity
Engagement is an important part of achieving Level A status, as companies are expected to create a dialogue with other water users and stakeholders in the watershed, promoting collective planning and governance activities when possible.

Ultimately, to be in compliance with Level A standards, companies are required to establish targets and measure their performance against those benchmarks, reporting on that performance publicly to demonstrate its efforts.

Any comprehensive solution to preserving and improving the quality and quantity of Ontario’s enviable natural water supply will require a collaborative effort between both the private and public sector.

There are countless challenges, but an equal number of opportunities to improve water stewardship at all levels, and in the mining industry in particular. As the industry works to establish the right balance between development, growth, profit, and environmental sustainability, there are countless organizations and agencies ready to support them in that endeavour.

The post A Resource More Valuable than Gold<p class="company">Taking the Lead in Water Stewardship</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Population growth, resource shortages, conflicts (which are often caused by competition for, and scarcity of, resources), displacement (often due to conflict), environmental and climate changes, and increased risk of famine are all factors contributing to acute hunger. COVID-19 has only exacerbated this, causing food insecurity and malnutrition rates to grow.

Unfortunately, goodwill alone will not solve acute hunger. While food and humanitarian relief are a part of the solution, sustainable food production systems, like aquaculture, are a missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to highly nutritious and sustainable food sources.

Fish and seafood is an animal protein that is rich in micronutrients like vitamin B12, potassium and, especially when compared to other meat products, Omega-3, but only two percent of the world food supply comes from the ocean.

The easy answer would be to increase reliance on the sea as a source of nutritious protein, but it’s not that simple. Overfishing and concern for wild fish stocks, as well as issues like by-catch are all good reasons to find a sustainable alternative.

Numbers of wild-caught fish reached their peak in the 1990s, and since that time aquaculture has become a popular way to bolster fish resources. Between 2000 and 2012, the rate of production of aquaculture doubled, and it will need to double again by 2050 to meet global demand.

Luckily, aquaculture is the fastest growing agri-food sector in the world with a growth rate of 8.8 percent. This is good news since global demand for seafood like shrimp and prawns is becoming unsustainable. Overfishing by commercial fisheries, and its potential to impact biodiversity, might be best addressed by switching to growing fish rather than catching them.

Aquaculture is really an industrial process: the rearing, stocking, and breeding of aquatic animals, and the cultivation of aquatic plants for food and commercial use. But by its nature, aquaculture can also be an environmentally responsible source of food, and better still, can play a substantial role in addressing global food insecurity.

The process uses controlled conditions to cultivate both freshwater and saltwater populations. Alternatively known as aquafarming, one could say that it “farms” many species – fish like crustaceans, molluscs, bass, tilapia, salmon, trout, and others, as well as aquatic plants including algae and seaweed.

Aquaculture can take the form of open-net pen and cage systems and can be used to produce food for human consumption and for carnivorous fish, and it is also used for stock restoration – to replenish depleted and endangered wild fish populations. Aquaculture can be a great way to feed the world and nurture biodiversity in the ecosystem.

One of the most significant advantages of aquaculture is its flexibility. It can be practised wherever there is a body of water. It generates jobs wherever it goes, too, bringing income sources to communities that are often in real need.

The opportunities in aquaculture include employment in hatcheries, fish-feed manufacturing, nursing, and raising the population, logistics, marketing, and retail to consumers, all of which can contribute to the economic strength of a community while also feeding them. More often than not, aquaculture is a local operation serving local markets.

There are, however, concerns about the viability of aquaculture and potential negative impacts.

Aquaculture can lead to the propagation of invasive species if fish escape; and where it is not sustainable it can threaten coastal ecosystems with waste from the fish, with antibiotics and fish food, as well as parasites and disease, all of which contaminate the water and threaten both farmed and wild populations.

And when not carefully monitored and regulated, aquaculture can also threaten the balance of the area ecosystem and imperil food supplies for wild species. Farming also requires resources to sustain it, like fishmeal and oil, which actually take more fish to produce than just using the fish as feed.

Part of ensuring sustainable aquaculture is to measure the amount of feed required to raise a population. To be sustainable, aquaculture should use less fish to feed than it produces, otherwise referred to as the fish in, fish out ratio.

Most people would be disappointed to know that many marine fish, such as salmon and trout, and crustaceans like shrimp, have a ratio greater than one. Alternatively, however, many freshwater fish like tilapia, catfish and milkfish can be produced at a ratio less than one.

A process like integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) uses less input resources and no chemicals or antibiotics, making it a preferred approach. IMTA also produces less waste discharge, thus reducing its environmental impacts. The catch? IMTA has a lower output, and is difficult to scale up.

Waste control is an important consideration as well. Facilities can release organic waste into waterways if effective waste management and treatment strategies are not employed. Aquaculture facilities should always put best practices into action and should be established only in locations sanctioned by spatial planning and zoning laws.

One of the best ways to promote sustainability in aquaculture is to invest in new technologies that ensure transparency and efficiency, as well as reduce dependency on wild feed. Issues beyond the operation need to be considered so as to understand the impact it has on the environment and local communities.

Globally, Asia has become the front runner in aquaculture production, as countries work to ensure that the dietary needs of its people are being met. China, which is where aquaculture is said to have originated, leads the way. In 2016, China produced 63,700,000 metric tons, followed by Indonesia with 16,600,000 tons and India with 5,703,002 tons. The United States ranked 17^th with 444,369 tons, while Canada ranked 24^th with 200,765 tons.

MOWI is the world’s largest supplier of farm-raised salmon. It is located in the cold clean waters of the North Pacific where salmon thrive and uses an integrated system of brood stock selection, freshwater hatcheries, saltwater farms, and state-of-the art processing plants to meet demand.

MOWI prioritizes sustainability in its operations and works with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). As of 2019, its Campbell River, British Columbia farms are ASC certified, as are its Broughton Archipelago farms.

Given the potential of aquaculture to bolster the global food supply chain, a greater number of companies are taking advantage of the practice, but not all operations prioritize sustainability as well as MOWI and some simply cannot as it is uncompetitive for them to do so.

One of the best ways to promote sustainable aquaculture is to reward it by offering resources and financial support that can help it to be increasingly competitive AND sustainable. Education and training support in zoning, water supply, sustainable wastewater treatment and facilities management can provide a foundation from which sustainability can grow.

Consumers can also be part of the change by buying and eating sustainable seafood. A recent documentary on Netflix, Seaspiracy, shows the dark side of the fishing industry, including aquaculture, and what is deemed “sustainable,” and while it issues some valuable warnings, the proposed solution of boycotting fish and seafood is not viable.

While advanced countries might enjoy a choice of food that allows them not to eat fish and seafood, expecting developing nations – often depending on the sea as a source of protein or just to keep hunger at bay – to eliminate these foods from their diets is thoughtless and unfair.

Instead of proposing a ban on fish and seafood, and while continuing to publicize the weak sustainability record and accountability of the fishing industry, people should demand that the bar be raised. Standards must be set higher and enforced so that consumers can regain faith in the labels and certifications of produce from the sea.

That way, the word sustainable can once again begin to mean something.

The post Addressing Acute Hunger<p class="company">Aquaculture on the Rise</p> appeared first on Resource In Focus.

Great care is taken on the maintenance and upkeep of tools, machinery and equipment to promote the longevity and optimal functioning of these capital investments. To keep them working at their best, they are regularly taken offline for scheduled service and care.

So why should the same care not be taken with human resources – to ensure the health, wellbeing, and so, productivity of employees? And where does the responsibility lie? With the employer, surely? Or not?

Countless studies prove that healthy employees are productive employees, and also safer and happier. Investing in employee health, safety, and wellbeing is actually good for the bottom line, as several levels of costs are saved by lower health insurance costs, as well as lower rates of absenteeism or “presenteeism”.

Absenteeism and presenteeism are both significant problems across workplaces in every sector and industry. The former, which means the employee is not at work, usually requires employers to make efforts to cover the shift, retrain employees or hire additional employees if it is a regular occurrence.

Presenteeism describes an employee who shows up to work and performs at a reduced level of productivity, the reason for which is usually valid. Be it fatigue, illness, stress, concern for themselves or a loved one, or when money is tight or jobs are on the line, employees will still show up despite not being at their best, but this is often at the employer’s cost.

In the October 2013 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, a study measured rates of absenteeism and presenteeism in operations where a health promotion program existed. The results compared the performance of those who participated in the program and achieved their program goals with those who did not participate, and used the results to assess the impact of higher levels of wellness on productivity.

Research shows that where there are health promotion programs in place at an organization-wide level the effects can be amazing. In the above example, wellness coaches were made available via telephone to help employees identify health problems or risks. In those who participated, rates of absenteeism and presenteeism dropped, as did associated medical insurance costs.

The results showed that lost work time was reduced to 10.3 hours per year, which amounted to a saving of $350 per participating employee annually. Further to savings, efficiencies were achieved, as those who participated and reached their health goals experienced a 0.5 percent gain in productive time.

The organizational approach
Company-wide health and wellness initiatives are great because they incentivize changes and provide a system of accountability. Employees can collectively set, and work to achieve, realistic goals with the support and encouragement of their employer and their peers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in general, healthier employees are more productive and are less likely to call in sick or be required to use vacation time to recover from illness.

This is an especially important consideration because reducing stress is one aspect – and an important one – of better overall health. Vacation time is a significant contributor to stress reduction, as it is meant as a break from the demands of work. But it is hard to recharge properly when you are using vacation to address another stressor, like illness. This isn’t an issue where employers offer paid sick time, or sick-leave programs.

Companies that support workplace health and wellness have a greater percentage of workers at work every day, ready to do their best. They also benefit from improved goodwill toward the company from employees as a result of feeling cared for and valued. Increased care on the part of the employer leads to a more successful employee culture and a more motivated workforce.

As part of improving the workplace culture, there are environmental changes that can be made to ensure optimal comfort and productivity. Break times are important, but so too are the spaces where breaks are enjoyed. Complimentary beverages and snacks, comfortable furniture and ideal temperatures are all great starting points when creating an environment where employees can thrive.

One of the best examples of workplace initiatives with positive implications for health and productivity is a smoking cessation program. Less nicotine dependence can mean that workers are more active and attentive on the job, with less disruption and fewer breaks as a result. However, this does require a personal commitment to change from the worker and a genuine willingness to do so.

Owning your safety
While it is up to the employer to ensure that the individual has the resources and support to be safe and successful, it is the responsibility of the individual to show up at the job site prepared, meaning that they bring a positive and alert awareness to the requirements of the job. Even the smallest, seemingly irrelevant actions, done a little better, can have a surprising impact on job safety. Like, for instance, engaging correct posture.

Correct posture prevents injuries and promotes greater self-awareness. Improved self-awareness brings awareness of one’s surroundings and it has been shown that the result is usually cleaner and more organized workspaces with fewer risks like tripping hazards, for instance. More care is likely to be taken ensuring safety.

Self-aware employees also ensure they are wearing the proper clothing and footwear for the job. Most employees provide the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE), but a prepared employee is also a safer employee, so it is best to show up ready to work safely.

There are countless things individuals can do to improve their own health and wellbeing that can also have far-reaching impacts on their coworkers and the workplace. Lifestyle changes are extremely impactful on a person’s productivity and safety, as well as the health and wellbeing of their family.

Positive individual health outcomes usually inspire changes at home as well, as families often become healthier together. Things like better nutrition, more sleep and exercise are good practices for everyone. This also contributes to reduced rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, as it improves the overall health of the family and reduces sick days and time spent caring for others.

Healthy worker, safer worker
Healthy workers can more clearly identify risks and are more apt to take responsibility for their own role in the health and safety of others. One of the most common safety issues on job sites across industries and sectors, is fall prevention.

Some of the best ways to prevent falls and protect yourself when working with heights go beyond safety protocols. Things like ensuring adequate sleep, healthy blood sugar levels and adequate hydration to prevent dizziness are great starting points for viable fall-prevention strategies.

Another action that can be taken to improve personal health and safety is to avoid intoxication from drugs or alcohol and monitor the use of drugs that may have side effects that impair your ability to work safely. Quite a few commonly available medications also induce drowsiness or dizziness, so you will want to be free of them if you’re working with heavy machinery or at any height.

It’s imperative to keep mobile telephone and technology use at a minimum when working to reduce distractions and ensure full attention is being paid. Instead of worrying about your phone, be sure to use sun protection, including headwear and a lotion with a reasonable sun protection factor (SPF) if you’re working outside. Once again, hydration is key.

When someone is at their best, they are nimbler, sharper and more aware. Workers should regularly have their vision and hearing checked to guarantee that they are able to identify risks on the job site and are able to do their job to its fullest. If not, there are glasses and hearing aids that can assist and will make worksites safer for everyone.

Some of the best ways to stay safe are to ask questions if uncertain, never take shortcuts, take breaks if needed, be a team player and avoid risks at all costs. That means any risks to personal health and wellbeing, as these are never in the best interest of the employee, the worksite or the company’s bottom line.

Safety is a personal responsibility as much as it is an organizational one. Everyone has a role to play in worker health and safety, and it starts with you.

It is up to regulatory bodies to establish standards, and it is up to the employer to establish procedures and provide resources, but it is the responsibility of the worker to abide by them and remain compliant – so making everyone a little, or even a lot, safer.

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There are currently 30,000 earth energy installations in Canada. This is equal to replacing 50,000 conventional cars with electric, planting 19 million trees, or eliminating the need for a 130-megawatt power plant or one million barrels of imported crude annually. Just imagine the potential impact if this was the status quo.

Geoexchange systems only require a small amount of electricity to operate the refrigerant compressor, ground loop pump and fan, which reduces demand for electricity by nearly one kilowatt per ton capacity and can result in 25 to 50 percent lower energy costs compared to conventional HVAC systems. By eliminating the need for fossil fuels, significantly fewer emissions are generated.

If that’s not enough to sell you on geothermal, these systems also boast the lowest life-cycle cost of any heating and cooling system. The mechanical equipment lifecycle exceeds 25 years and overall maintenance, repair, and operational costs are generally less than conventional HVAC systems, despite offering occupants a greater degree of comfort year-round at lower, more predictable monthly rates. More impressively is the below-ground infrastructure itself, which could last beyond life of the building.

While the advantages are clear, up front capital costs associated with installation can be disadvantageous, however the initial investment can be paid back in as few as five years. Especially with a partner like Geosource Energy on your side, this doesn’t have to be a major source of concern.

Since 2004, Geosource Energy has been a champion of geothermal in Canada, offering utility grade construction services and best-in-class drilling. They provide various project delivery models for geothermal systems from construction through to Design-Build-Own-Operate-Maintain (DBOOM).

Through the DBOOM model, a long-term service agreement is put in place which provides unmatched customer service and system management throughout a project’s lifecycle.

Geosource acts as a technology and performance guarantor which is made possible through the creation of an energy partnership. Clients experience a peace of mind and operational stability, as Geosource bears the capital costs across the life of the contract – usually a term of 30 years.

“With a third-party utility bearing the capital cost of that system,” Adam Alaica, Director of Engineering and Development says, “it allows for the capital burden to be taken off of the developer, and through the service agreement it is converted to an operating cost for the end-user.”

Geosource enables this capacity via a partnership with Oakville Enterprise Corporation (OEC), a municipally owned energy and infrastructure company that has an established presence in the geothermal market. Together they bring 30 years of experience and over 300 projects delivered, as well as extensive technological capacity and resources that can better serve client partnerships.

Jennifer Burstein, Vice President of Construction at Collecdev, a developer that has completed nine towers with Geosource Energy to date, provides some insight into the partnership. “Geothermal was an easy decision for us. As one of Collecdev’s corporate pillars is sustainability and environmental stewardship, geothermal was, ‘Simply the right thing to do.’”

Burstein adds, “It just felt natural when they approached us and offered us an opportunity to enter into the space of geothermal. It made sense that they would take on the entire project of geothermal. So not only the vertical drilling, but also the connections, the mechanical systems, and the engineering and project management that goes along with it as well.”

Geosource Energy drills and installs one hundred percent of its own geo fields. It handles all of the technical and geological considerations to support the energy side of a project, freeing up the developer to oversee the real estate aspect, which makes for an ideal partnership in the development space, especially when partners are engaged early in the process.

“Early engagement is critical to success on any project,” Alaica believes. “From a new construction perspective, it is the ideal scenario to design geo into a building from its conception. This is even more critical when the geothermal infrastructure is sited below the building footprint, which is common practice in most facilities.”

Early engagement doesn’t necessarily mean geothermal needs to happen first. Collecdev employed Geosource Energy on the Westwood Gardens project in 2018, which had multiple trades on site at the same time. The space allowed Geosource to drill the bore field in tandem with other onsite activities, the coordination of which was seamless.

Building retrofits are possible, but they are not without their challenges. There may be challenges integrating the new system with legacy facilities and mechanical distribution systems. In these cases, detailed due diligence is required to assess the project viability and may result in the need for deep retrofits, which may come at a far greater cost up front.

Alaica explains that where there is a lack of space in higher density communities, “Geosource has innovated our construction and implementation methods, leveraging things like angle drilling. This is actually something we’ve done with Collecdev in the past, and it can be done for retrofits and new buildings where there is limited space available.”

The project with Collecdev which he was referring to is described by Burstein as a “retrofit-esque infill project, a two-tower new build which was integrated into an existing residence that was about fifteen years old. They deployed this angular vertical-drilling mechanism which allowed us to take a very small portion of land and drill a large amount of loop space at an angle.”

Another advantage of geothermal is flexibility from an architectural standpoint, which is particularly useful for historic renovation projects. Geothermal mechanical rooms are smaller and can be tucked away in lower value areas such as underground parking levels, with no need for unsightly equipment on the property grounds or the roof. Geosource’s strategic alliance with industry leading fluid flow experts, Armstrong Fluid Technologies, ensures that all hydronic equipment and controls used in their geothermal mechanical stations compliments the best-in-class installation on the ground side. This ensures the preservation of a project’s historical integrity while ensuring the most future-forward innovations in space heating and cooling are utilized.

Geothermal can have the greatest impact on multi-residential, commercial, and institutional projects, especially from a cost and performance perspective. For instance, if all the schools in Canada that require replacement of their heating and cooling systems over the next ten years invested in geoexchange systems, energy savings could exceed $1 billion, and the environmental impact would be immense.

Despite its proven viability and the potential of its impact, geothermal only represents five percent of real estate market share in Ontario. This is due in large part to an unfavourable spark spread. Low gas prices make the shift to electrified systems a harder sell, especially where there is a lack of political will, a sense of market inertia, and the need for capacity building on an industry level.

“One of the key challenges for the industry at large is trying to create this renewed groundswell and create political will to really shine a light on geothermal as the leading, and most credible way to help achieve low-carbon, net-zero community aspirations,” explains Director of Marketing and Sales for Geosource Energy, Darryl Chow.

All levels of government have a role to play to ensure that environmental protection is legislated, and that carbon-intensive energy resources continue to be taxed appropriately, while offering incentives up front that can help offset the higher installation costs and encourage the adoption of greener alternatives.

From Alaica’s perspective, “Helping bridge the incremental cost of a higher performance building is the key. If there is any way to allow the development community to reduce those incremental costs, this will help drive the business case for a higher performance building; this is exactly what the geothermal third-party utility model does.”

The construction industry is historically one of the slowest to evolve. There is a commitment to tried and true construction methods, despite the increasing availability of viable alternatives that improve performance and sustainability.

However, as municipalities continue to establish green building standards to help achieve lower emissions targets, the construction industry will have no choice but to adapt to a cleaner, greener approach to design and construction. Geothermal will be an important part of the overall solution.

“Toronto is a great market for understanding how the municipalities can drive change in the building sector, specifically. With the introduction of the Toronto Green Standard, the city is showing leadership in establishing a more prescriptive guideline around energy and carbon performance of facilities, which is a step in the right direction,” says Alaica.

Sustainability is nothing without collaboration, and in the case of green construction, it will require a multifaceted effort of industry professionals, government representatives, and education leaders to ensure the industry has the capacity to support growth in demand. This is particularly true of training what Chow refers to as, “the next generation of sustainable green construction-trades people.”

Fleming College has launched a first of its kind geothermal program to provide a combination of hands-on training in drilling, installation, repair, and maintenance of geothermal systems which will address a growing need for industry accredited professionals.

To support these ends, Geosource Energy created the Sustainability and Renewable Energy in Construction Student Award through the Tridel Corporation’s BOLT Charitable Foundation to encourage students in the field and provide mentorship. As Chow puts it, “We really do have to equip our future workforce with the right opportunities so they can get into this game to put not just Ontario, but Canada on the map as a global leader in the green construction industry.”

As a constant champion of geothermal, Geosource Energy supports Workforce 2030, a coalition of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) that is dedicated to fast-tracking workforce growth and building industry capacity overall.

In partnership with the CaGBC, Geosource Energy will be convening an expert panel of key industry stakeholders via an interactive webinar that will serve as a masterclass in geothermal heating and cooling. They hope that by having these conversations with individuals involved throughout the design, construction, and operation of buildings, convenings of this nature can break down barriers to the implementation of critical low-carbon technologies like geothermal. The Drilldown: Masterclass in Geothermal Energy is scheduled for April 20 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern via Zoom.

Tune in to learn more and see for yourself how leaders like Geosource Energy and Collecdev are embracing low-carbon alternatives like geothermal for a greener future. The market is ripe with potential, and geothermal is a business decision that can improve lives, save money and the environment, while improving the bottom line.

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